How Sebastien and Sophon Are Changing the Game With Crypto People Actually Want to Use

Sebastien, the Swiss co-founder and CEO of Sophon, sat with me on When Shift Happens to explore why crypto has stayed niche for so long, and how his team is building something that could finally bring it mainstream. 

With $60 million raised in the largest blockchain node sale ever, Sebastien is clear about his ambition: create crypto’s first truly consumer-facing platform. And not just another tool for insiders, but something your sister, your neighbour, or someone who’s never heard of MetaMask could actually use.

His thesis is simple: most people don’t care about decentralisation, wallets, or permissionless finance. They care about products that solve everyday problems. And that’s the gap Sophon is trying to close.

From Risk to Crypto: Sebastien’s Wild Ride In

Sebastien’s journey into crypto wasn’t some calculated career move. Diagnosed with ADHD and wired to learn fast, he always craved high energy, high-leverage environments. He was good at school, but driven by instinct, and maybe a little bit of inherited boldness for risk from his dad, an oil trader.

That drive led him to quit his job and throw all his savings into ETH at $100 during the chaos of March 2020. “I took the chance,” he says, “and I went all in.” He’s been on the rollercoaster ever since.

Not all the decisions worked out. We shared a laugh about getting burned by Luna after a solid run on ETH. But that experience left its mark. Sebastien reflected on what Raoul Pal said in a past episode: when things are going too well and greed creeps in, that’s when it’s time to step back and secure something real.

Crypto’s Problem Isn’t Tech. It’s People.

Ask Sebastien what crypto’s real problem is and he doesn’t hesitate. “We don’t have a tech problem. We have a crypto problem.” The tools are powerful. But the way they’re packaged? Confusing, abstract, and often irrelevant to most people’s lives.

Everyone uses tech. Not everyone uses crypto. Sophon is built on that simple but often-overlooked truth.

The goal isn’t to replace people’s habits but to layer value into them. The future, as Sebastien sees it, isn’t about abandoning banks or ditching the apps we know. It’s about letting users keep doing what they already do, while getting more out of it.

That’s where Sophon comes in: not another Ethereum layer, but a new kind of environment. One where verified, onchain data can be used without requiring users to understand it. “We’re not creating another iteration. We’re creating a new paradigm.”

Solving for the Users Who Aren’t Asking Yet

Most crypto projects solve for the people already here. Sophon is solving for the people who aren’t, even if they don’t know they need it yet. That makes it harder. But also more necessary.

Sophon’s entire design is about meeting people where they are. Rather than throwing them into tokenomics or teaching them about gas fees, the platform quietly integrates crypto into user flows they already understand. Sebastien points to Hyperliquid and Jupiter as examples of getting this right—building simple, intuitive UX around real value.

“It’s a green field,” he says. “We’re solving for people who don’t know they need us. And that’s harder but more meaningful.”

The Data Everyone Has, But No One Owns

One of the most exciting things about Sophon is what it does with data. Sebastien explained that most people’s digital footprint are collected, monetised, and sold, without any of that value going back to the user. With Sophon, that changes. Users can monetise their online behaviour without revealing their identity. And brands can target behaviour, not identity.

Whether it’s concert tickets, TV shows, or browser patterns, users retain control while earning from what already exists. It’s data sovereignty without friction.

Gaming, ZKTLs, and Crypto You Don’t Even Notice

Gaming is another area where Sebastien sees major opportunity. There’s already a game with 2 million active users preparing to integrate crypto using Sophon at the backend. It’s crypto that stays invisible until it adds value.

He also introduces ZKTLs—Zero-Knowledge Transport Layer Security—as a way for people to keep using familiar apps while enjoying crypto’s benefits under the hood. It’s not about changing people’s routines. It’s about making them smarter, more rewarding, and more private, without the user needing to lift a finger.

Success, Redefined

Professionally, Sebastien defines success with precision: if Sophon becomes the reason new people start using crypto, even if they don’t know it’s crypto, that’s the win. " If we can say that the Sophon team helped change the way that consumers work with crypto, got people excited about crypto again the way they were a few years ago, that's success”. 

But personal success look different. For Sebastien, it’s about time. Time with family, with friends, doing what he loves, picking up new sports, chasing curiosity. The balance between building something that matters and living a life that feels good.

Crypto, If It Finally Makes Sense

This episode isn’t just about a CEO with funding. It’s about a perspective that feels overdue. Sebastien’s approach is less about making noise and more about making sense. It’s about building for the people who haven’t shown up to crypto yet because no one has ever really built for them.

And if Sophon delivers on even half of what it’s aiming for, it won’t just be another project. 

It’ll be a shift in how we think about what crypto is for, and who it’s actually meant to serve.

👉If you enjoyed reading the summary, head over to When Shift Happens on YouTube or your favorite podcast platform to access the full convo.